Day's Darkness Dawning
by Trevor X
Summary: This is the beginning of one tale of the war: Of a young man who lost all, a young woman who lost her cause, and the world that fought on around them...
1. Disclaimer

This is a work of fanfiction. The author does not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. Original characters however are the intellectual property of said author - please ask if (not that I think it's very likely) you woud like to use them in your own work of fiction. _Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai and Sunrise Entertainment..._   
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	2. Beginnings

_ Author: So begins the tale; the tale of the gundam pilots, and the lives of their friends and_   
_ allies...one in particular..._   


* * * * * * * * 

A.C. 196 

The troop lay scattered over a small clearing high in the mountainous forests of the former German republic. Some idly lay around, others spoke in hushed whispers; still others remaining alert to their surroundings worked on cleaning their guns. They had just been in battle with a fragment of the Alliance and were expecting a retaliation strike. 

A small group remained seperated from the soldiers. The apparent leader sat in conversation with his lieutenants as to the best course of action to take. One man and a boy sat further on, eyes on the portable radar scope. 

"Anything yet Chad?" The commander's german accent rumbled through the deceivingly still air. 

The other sat upright and shook his head, sighing. "Nothing, Commander Heinz." 

"As I said, Commander, we should continue to rest. The radar will alert us to the presence of any enemy in time to prepare an attack or retreat." The earnest voice of the first lieutenant came through. 

As the other men in conference nodded assent, Chad stood up, dumbfounded. 

"What! Have you become so lax? When is the time that they have not paid back blow for blow, or tried? While we have time, we need to retreat or dig in!" 

The first lieutenant became irrate at that stament and stood as well, walking until he was face to face with the 'unruly' second lieutenant. His face began to grow red, his eyes narrowing to slits. 

"The men need to rest while they have time; we've been pushing hard!" 

Chad stood unmoved. "They can rest in SAFETY in the underground bunker. Out here is too open to provide any but a false sense of safety." 

The two held their ground and continued to argue. It might have come to blows had not a quiet voice stopped them. 

"We have radar signatures coming south and east." 

The commander snapped to his feet. "Summon the men, prepare to march or defend, in worst case! The enemy has found us!" 

Chad moved over to help his cousin pack up the equipment. "Good job Trev." The boy silently acknowledged him and continued packing. A slight smile graced his face for a moment. Then a frown returned. 

"They will be here before we can get across the valley." 

Chad nodded. The leo mobile suits that the Alliance used would be hard to evade without adequate time. They would be force to fight for this retreat. He checked his gun and hoisted the equipment onto his back. 

"Too bad we couldn't have brought our leos." The suits that had been stolen, scavenged, and - very rarely - captured were in need of repairs. 

"No parts, no fuel, no suits." 

They watched as the column of men began the long trek down the side of the mountain. The commander stopped by them as came up. 

"Boy, go out and create a diversion." 

Trev nodded and strapped on a backpack containing extra explosives, grenades, flares, and smoke bombs. Chad put his hand on his shoulder. "Remember what we taught you, and, come back." 

He watched his cousin start out before sending the commander a murderous glare and hurrying down the trail. 

* * * * * * * * 

Heero walked into the library, a bag over his shoulder. He chose a computer in a vacant corner and claimed it. Removing schoolbooks from his bag, he looked a student intent on finishing whatever assignment the teacher had decided to torture the class with. He was however, not doing any school project, he was working yet again to hack into the computers on the small OZ facility outside of town. 

He'd had no luck yet; first level security, but that was all. They seemed to have thrown in a twist this time, and he hadn't quite figured out what the change was from the norm. He typed again and again, looking for a weakness to exploit. Damn those security experts getting wise. It looked like another day was about to be wasted. All this to obtain the layout of security within the confines of a small base. Of course, he'd normally be able to crack this by now, but all his previous codes hadn't worked here; proof that they had changed security systems. 

A movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention; a female OZ officer entered the room and scanned it, seemingly looking for something. Keeping an eye on her, Heero closed the connection to the network and pulled up several files involving complex math problems. The officer began walking towards him. He was intent on his "schoolwork". She walked over and peered at his screen. 

TJ sighed as she saw the files on the screen. Either this kid is really smart, or the right one got away. It didn't help things any to be chosen for this task. Stifling a groan, she turned back to the task at hand - she still had to talk to this kid. 

"Has anyone else been on this computer today?" 

He glared at her suspicously. "I don't know, I don't keep track of it." 

Bowing her head, she looked at the floor. "Please come with me." 

Heero quickly ran over his options; he could kill her, but that would have OZ on his tail and they would probably tighten security at the base. He could make a break for it, but same scenario. If she didn't shoot him, she'd call for backup, and he might still end up in an OZ cell. He'd just have to play along, and if the situation got too bad, then try to escape. 

Shrugging, but still glaring, "Alright." 

* * * * * * * * 

Smoke. Noise. Fire. Confusion. He ran, focusing on one thought - escape. If only...His thoughts were cut off when he stepped on a loose rock. The men in the Leo's were confused by a sttrange rumbling sound. Persuing the remnants of the rebel strike force down the mountain, they didn't notice the ground shaking beneath them till it was too late. The rockslide tore through their ranks, burying several suits. 

The remaining suits manuevered gingerly through the loose pile of rocks and did their best to save their comrades. They managed to rescue most of the pilots and headed further into the valley to set up camp. No one was around when the boy half buried under debris awoke. 

That had been three weeks before; now Trev was looking at the small OZ outpost with narrowed eyes. The rockslide had been an accident and had allowed the remains of the troop to get away, but his cousin and several other men had been captured. He was going to get them out - if he - no! He could and he would get them out. 

Sighing, his features relaxed, and he put away a pair of binoculars. Tonight or tomorrow he would make his move. He just needed a little more information, maybe he could hack into the base files and get some answers. He knew where he could find a free computer. Pulling himself off of the ground, Trev picked up his pack and headed for town. 

* * * * * * * * 

Heero glared at the chair in front of him. Not that the chair had anything to do with anything; he just needed a focus point. He'd toured the facilities with TJ as she insisted that he address her, and he was glad for that, but she'd been keeping too much of an eye on him all day. Annoying. 

He'd found out about the network quirks through discreet questions to the tech that were working on it during his "tour." A simple idea really, an operating system platform that sent a remote user on an endless loop. It was enough to keep hackers engaged on trying to break a system that wasn't any use; other than the fact that it reported computer addresses and snagged an endless supply of computer hacks for OZ. 

Heero pushed off of the desk and wandered aimlessly, hands in pockets, through the room. TJ sure had it nice in the way of private quarters; but then, what OZ officer didn't? He stopped in front of his duffle. A small flash of light caught his attention, and he turned his head slightly to focus. Ah, a camera set to photograph the contents of his bag. Oh well, might as well play along. He pulled out his schoolbooks and pretended to be busily engaged in their mysteries. 

* * * * * * * * 

TJ sighed and rubbed her forehead with one hand. All he'd done was stand or sit and look at his textbooks. Nothing incriminating, nothing to prove that he was any sort of computer hacker. She stood and turned off the monitor. The other two officers in charge of screening did likewise. As if by consensus, they nodded to her and left the room. The door shut and left her in the semi-darkness. 

There are times that I hate this job! The silence gave no answers to the questions that swirled through her head. He's got to be the one! No one else was in the computer room that I saw; but nothing he said proved that he could. He's too good. Her head fell forward in defeat. 

She was not left to the soothing silence for long however. Her radio crackled to life, the voice of her superior coming through. Wonderful. Someone's hacking in again. Straightening up, she left the room, heading for the outside world.   
  
  


* * * * * * * * 


	3. Dying Shadows

_Author: More, more, more. Suspense, suprise, and... FRUSTRATION! For the characters, that is..._

* * * * 

Trev bowed his head towards the desk in frustration; he was getting absolutely nowhere. The computer seemed to throw him into an endless loop, the same that had annoyed Heero earlier - although he had no way of knowing that. He stood and stretched, rubbing his eyes. Retrieving his pack, he started for the exit. No help here. 

He almost made it out. The flash of an OZ uniform caught his attention and his arm. He eyed the officer warily, preparing mentally to make a break for it if the opportunity presented itself. The girl seemed to grin in satisfaction. 

"I've caught you at last." 

Trev looked bewildered at that. "Huh?" 

"Don't play dumb with me, I know you've been trying to hack into our database." 

He looked even more bewildered. _But, I just got here a half hour ago. How could she know that I was hacking into their system. I wasn't on for very long._ His eyes narrowed as he forced his thoughts to calm down. 

"And IF I was trying to hack in, what crime did I commit, pray tell? If I'm the one you're searching for, why have did I only arrive here a half hour ago? And why is it that the computer logs show history as the last files to be opened? I know the last one is easy to do, but still, how could I have even scratched the surface of your network in a half hour?" 

The officer shook her head in bewilderment. Trev pressed his advantage. "Ask the librarian, she can tell you. Or maybe you'd like to look through my bag. Feel free." He shoved his pack at her. 

TJ was stunned. Never in her career had she ever had to deal with kids like this. These last two were way too assured of themselves, almost like they ran into OZ accusations every day. And they seemed to have a solid alibi - whether they talked, or not. Slowly she released her grip on the boy's arm and took his bag from him. She opened all the zippers and sifted through the compartments, dumping the contents on the table. 

Nothing. Just what you would expect from a kid doing his homework. A portable game, notepads, pens, books. Nothing dealing with terrorism or computers. Like he would have let her search it if it did contain incriminating evidence. Sighing she handed him the pack, then searched through the pockets and lining of his jacket. Still nothing. 

"Fine. Just try to keep out of the wrong place at the wrong time." TJ stated dully. She turned on her heel and prepared to leave. 

"Thanks." 

The single word caught her off gaurd and she stared at the kid as he exited the building, leaving her open mouthed. 

* * * * * * * * 

TJ sat in her room, staring blankly at the starlit sky that showed through her window. Heero had departed quietly and no one really knew when. The other kid had never gotten to the base. Both however seemed similar in some respects, although much different in many others. She pondered as she stared vacantly; What is it? 

Sighing, she broke her gaze at the sky to stand and stretch. Maybe a breath of fresh air would help her untangle the intricacies of thoughts and feelings. Feelings? No; When would she have time to develop feelings for such uncomprehendable youths? She reached for the doorknob and opened the door. Still as she walked, the thought bothered her; was she falling for some kid, someone not even in the military? 

A shadow caught her eye and drew her from her thoughts. Quickly she focused on it as it slipped around a corner. Rushing into her apartment, she threw on some civvies - she was off duty- and hurried to investigate, not stopping to think of how foolish it would probably be. 

* * * * * * * * 

Blood. Sweat. Darkness. 

He felt them all as he moved along the passage. He hadn't meant to blow the place when he first arrived, and he didn't have many explosives - just enough to blow a few doors - but that was beside the point. Those he'd come to save were dead. His mind still reviewed the unpleasant memories of the past hour. 

His body was still wet with perspiration from the effort that it had taken him to crawl through the ventilation shaft. Panting silently, he surveyed the area beneath him, listening for any sound that would betray a guard to him. He'd just prepared to climb down when THEY came. They were arguing as they exited a cell. 

"It's not right; it's not what I'm fighting for." 

Grim was the reply. "You don't have a choice, so shut up!" 

"But we shouldn't murder prisoners. If they are worthy of death, then we should take them out and execute them. You disgust me." The voice continued. "They were brave; I wish I could join them." 

A shot rang out and the thud of a body hitting the floor followed. "Then do so." Cruel words from a cruel man. The boy dropped lightly from the air shaft, landing in a low crouch. Stealthily he worked his way to the corner and peered around it. What he saw made him sick. 

The young man shuddered at the remembrance. Blood was all over the hall floor; and the knife - he shut out the memory. 

The guard had thrown the now mutilated corpse of his comrade into the cell behind him. His radio crackled to life, and he stopped wiping his hands off to answer. "Yes?" 

"How's it going?" He laughed, "Went real good, REAL good. Lost Stevens though, he turned traitor on us." 

The other voice was silent for a moment. "Alright, we'll send you a replacement for him." 

The guard turned down the volume and returned the radio to his belt. He turned towards the cell, "Rip, rip, rip!" he chucked. Trev slipped out of hiding and drew his gun; he didn't have much time. Walking up behind the man, he tapped him on the shoulder. The guard turned, and had only a split second realisation that the shadow in front of him was an enemy before a shot sounded, ending his life. Trev looked away in disgust, and turned to the cell the guards had exited before their altercation. What he saw next was burned into his mind. 

The state of the corpses in the room...he shuddered in disgust and tried to think of anything else. Focus; focus on the job at hand. Have to blow up this place! 

He slipped into an empty room to look at the floorplan of the base he had managed to get his hands on. 

* * * * * * * * 

Heero took a moment to view the area outside his ventilation shaft. His gaze fell over the entire open space, hand ever near the ever present gun he carried. His infiltration of this base had gone without a hitch so far, although that was nothing unusual for the "Perfect Soldier". He smirked; this base of fanatical, elite OZ units had been simple to penetrate beyond the outer defenses. The guards were probably sitting secure in their inpenetrable security system. 

Well, it would be their loss. They would still be thinking themselves impregnable when they blew up, let them enjoy the delusion while the can. He dropped out of the air shaft and landed lightly on the floor below. Carefully he adjusted the straps of the pack that contained the explosives that he planned to plant inside the building. 

Moving with practiced ease down the deserted halway, he soon came upon a large open area filled with mobile suits in various states of repair. As he passed by one suit, he became aware of a dark shadow creeping in his direction. He froze, then dropped slowly to the floor and crawled around the leg of the Leo that was behind him. The other shadow continued on, unaware of his presence until a bullet ripped through his side. 

Heero trained his gun in the direction of the fallen soldier. Slowly he approached, eyes narrowed, senses alert to any movement. The silencer on his gun had kept the shot from being heard, so he knew he had hit his enemy, but it was never wise to underestimate any opponent. As he neared, he noted that the figure was dressed all in black, similar to himself. As he reached out to feel for a pulse, the lights snapped on. He whirled and trained his gun on the girl who stood at the wall at the far end. 

TJ immediately dropped to the floor and covered her head with her hands. She totally forgot about the gun she had strapped to her side, her mind in turmoil. The two boys she had interrogated today were inside the base. Why? Were they with the resistance movements or terrorists? She couldn't tell, and fear gripped her heart. She knew that she would die today. 

Heero watched TJ shaking with dispassionate gaze. Still keeping her covered, he turned the body at his feet over. Raising his eyebrow in suprise, he noted that the boy beneath him, although not much older than him, was still alive. His face was ashen, and he seemed to be unconcious. Heero walked over to the girl and took her gun, stuffing it into his belt. "Get up." He growled in a low tone. 

TJ shook as she stood, eyes tightly closed, awaiting her fate. She felt a gun nudge her forward. "Move girl." She moved in the direction of the boy on the floor. Heero opened his pack and took out a clean pad. "Hold this on his side." TJ took the cloth gingerly and pressed it tightly to the wound. 

Heero picked up the boy's pack and opened it. It contained medical supplies and explosives, besides extra clips for the gun the boy was wearing. Not usual fare for OZ. They usually don't carry explosives in their own base. Heero glared at the girl. "Is he OZ?" TJ shook her head, her gaze fixed on the cloth she held that was slowly becoming soaked with blood. "No, I caught him at the library today. I thought he was trying to access the database for the base, but he had an alibi, like you did." 

The boy began to move feebly and moaned. His lips began to whisper and TJ leaned close to catch the words. Her eyes grew wide. His cousin was murdered? Heero grabbed her shoulder, jerking her around to face him. She winced at the pain in her shoulder and looked fearfully at the silent terror in front of her. "Get him out of here, and I'll spare you." She nodded quickly. He spun around, and emptied the explosives into his pack, then handed her the one that now contained only medical supplies. "You have fifteen minutes to exit the base." He hurried off. 

A low moan brought her attention back to her patient. He was waking up. He winced as he came fully awake. TJ put down the pack and drew out a long bandage, and a clean dressing, applying the dressing to the wound, and holding it there. "Can you help me? I need to wrap the wound to keep the dressing on it." He nodded, and sat up, holding the dressing in place while TJ wrapped the banage around his side and tied it off. Wearily, she picked up the pack. "Can you stand? We have to get out of here."   


* * * *   


Trev gritted his teeth and tried to stand. It took the help of the girl in front of him to get him up and keep him stable. Slowly they made their way through the hanger to the suit nearest the outer door. There they paused, and TJ left Trev leaning against the leg of the Aries suit that stood in front of the door. She climbed up the service stairway to the balcony above and entered the suit, activating the system. Interfacing the operating system, she typed in two commands and then used the cable to descend rapidly to her charge. If everything went right, the suit would provide the distraction necessary to allow them to leave the base unnoticed. She dragged Trev over to the armored truck that sat in the hanger. 

Helping him into the passenger side, she ran around and climbed in, turning on the engine. As she shut her door, she saw the Aries suit lift it's beam rifle and blast a hole in the door. Then it marched out of the hanger, suprising the guards patrolling outside. TJ took the chance and floored it. The truck barrelled outside, heading for the gate to the base.   


* * * *   


Heero slipped into the power generating room for the base. The technicians on duty never noticed when he slipped inside, and never even looked twice as he set the charges around the generators. He slipped out and raced for the north end of the base. It contained a hanger with fully operational suits. Running through the darkened halls, he tripped over the body lying on the floor. Turning away in disgust, he glanced into the dimly lit interior of the cell beside him and his eyes narrowed. Heero pushed himself off the floor and continued on his way. 

He reached the bay without furthur incident. Climbing into one of the Aries that lined the wall, he had just reached the cockpit when the alarm went off, and several pilots hurried into the room. They scrambled into the suits nearest the door, yelling all the while. 

"Move it! Someone got into the the repair bay, and they've taken an Aries!" Heero shut the cockpit door, and strapped himself in. Activating the suit, he fell in behind the others as they exited. The suits formed up and flew to the center of the base, where a lone suit continued its trek across the open space between the buildings. "Fire!" came the command over the intercom, and the sky lit up with beams of light from the rifles, and several brilliant explosions. 

First the suit on the ground exploded, followed by two more in the air. The Aries milled around in confusion, and couldn't respond in time to intercept the lone Aries that flew to the north. The commander in the tower banged a fist on the console in front of him. "Damn, we've been had!" He issued orders to the squadron to form up and search for the renegade suit the following day.   


* * * *   


_Things are taking an interesting turn in this mostly Heero + Original Characters story. _**Gundam Wing**_. I don't own it, it is © to Sunrise, Bandai, and various other RICH entities. All other characters are © to RTS. Thanks for letting me use them. I just write for the enjoyment and to spread Gundam Wing around._

_By the way, EMAIL ME_

_Trevor_X1_


	4. Fading Light

* * * *   


Two days later, TJ sat silently watching as groups of Aries flew over the area, searching for any sign of rebel troops or the missing mobile suit. The commander seemed to be pressing the search with great vigor. It was understandable; after all, the base had been infiltrated, and mobile suits "disturbed". If no one was caught, the CO could have a lot of trouble on his hands with his superiors.   


After disposing of the truck inside the hideout where they were now holed up, she had finally heard the story from Trev about what happened to his cousin and the men with him. A disgust had grow within her at the blatant disregard for the ideals she had believed OZ to stand for. Now she was stuck out here, with nowhere else to go. If she returned to the base, she'd be taken for a traitor in an instant, and having heard all the gory details of what had occurred before, she had no doubts about what might happen to her in such a situation. 

Besides, she had an obligation to fulfill; after all, one couldn't abandon an injured person, could they? Especially when playing doctor meant food and shelter; things that TJ had gotten very used to having. A slight rustling behind in the doorway of the shelter made her stiffen slightly, and she turned around to find Trev walking slowly outside. She glared at him. "You are not supposed to be up! I told you it would be another two days before you could start wandering around and here you are, not paying any attention to what I say." 

Trev eased himself into a sitting position beside the agitated girl, wincing slightly on the way down. Gently he took the pistol from his belt and set it in her lap. "And I recall warning you to take a gun with you when you went outside, which," he replied quietly, "you seem to have ignored as well. Besides, I thought you might need someone to talk to." 

At first he thought she might stand up and walk away, but then she sighed lowered her gaze. "I suppose." Another moment of silence followed as TJ struggled to organize her thoughts. "I guess you could say that my career in OZ is over. If I go back, I might be viewed as a traitor for helping you, and... I know now what happens to anyone marked as a traitor; at least at the base where I was stationed." 

Trev sat silently as she continued. "But what if I don't want to be a part of the rebellion? What can I do? I don't have my family anymore, and I never learned a marketable skill. I feel almost worthless." All the pent up tension now released itself in a torrent of tears. 

Trev put his arm around her and let her bury her face in his shoulder, even though he felt slightly awkward comforting someone older than himself and his side ached. She seemed to feel embarrassed at her outburst, for she quickly drew back when the tears had subsided. She started to murmur an apology, when he suddenly signaled her to be quiet. Instant silence ensued, and in a few moments, both were able to make out the sounds of someone coming through the forest in their direction. 

Trev pushed TJ behind a tree and took up a post opposite to her, shooting cautious glances in the direction the sound seemed to come from. In a few moments the bushes parted and two OZ soldiers stepped out, guns aimed casually ahead of them. Their casual attitude dropped away a moment later when a voice called to them to halt. 

"Drop your weapons and put your hands in the air. I don't want anyone to get hurt, but I will if I have to." TJ could hear the pain that was laced in Trev's voice, and she could see the stick that he was holding around the tree. Unsure what he was intending, she stayed still. The two soldiers stopped and looked at one another, then glanced cautiously at their surroundings. Spotting the branch that was pointed at them, they started forward, guns at the ready. 

"Don't worry, they're OZ!" came a voice from behind them, and they whirled about, to confront a young woman peeking out from behind a tree. She was disheveled and looked as if she'd been crying recently. Stepping forward hesitantly, she glanced at the tree where her companion had taken shelter. He was either unwilling or unable to come out. Judging from the sounds that came from that direction, the latter was more probable. Quickening her step, she moved around the trunk, followed by the two, now curious, soldiers. 

Trev lay curled up at the base of the tree, eyes closed. TJ knelt down and lifted his shirt to check on bandage underneath. She gasped at the blood soaked cloth. "I told you to rest!" she murmured. Turning back to the soldiers, she pulled out her I.D. card. "He needs transport to the nearest medical facility pronto." 

They snapped to attention and saluted. "Yes ma'am!"   


* * * * *   


TJ was alone with her thoughts. After arriving at the small clinic, she'd refused to leave the side of the wounded boy, and to the amazement of all military personnel present, announced her intentions to resign. She'd signed all the forms while waiting for Trev to wake up, and would be a civilian again as of one week. Sighing, she glanced mournfully at the boy on the bed. There was no movement except the rise and fall of his chest, showing that he was alive. 

Images played through her mind. The base as it was three days ago, before she had known of the horrors that had taken place there; full of life, and brimming with activity. The base, as of two days ago; dark and with little light, hiding in darkness deeds that were indescribably horrid. The base of today; a blackened, burned out crater, nothing left except memories. 

Then came the feel again, of the gun in her back; her life flashing before her eyes. The horror of driving through unknown territory, a battle blazing overhead. Of living in hiding, not knowing whether you were a traitor or not. The fear, when the soldiers came, that they were seeking to destroy you. The relief, as they became the means to spare not only your life, but the life of a...friend? 

Hesitating on the last word, TJ recalled the story that she'd told the soldiers on the way into town. 

The jeep bounced roughly over the unpaved road, and TJ needed all the concentration she could muster to hold the injured boy still. The need however, didn't stop her from pouring out the rather simplistic tale; she'd been taken off of base by several intruders in dark clothing. The boy had tried to help her and been shot, after which the terrorists left them out in the forests. She didn't have a clue where they had gone afterwards, but she guessed that they planned to lay low before striking again in this region. 

A light touch on her arm startled TJ out of her musings. Blue eyes stared questioningly up at her, as the patient stirred from his sleep. 

"So, what happened while I was out?" Relieved, TJ began to tell him of the events of the past five hours. 

* * * * *   


Heero gazed at the piles of broken down Leos that lined the underground hanger that he had discovered. A few were in good shape, but judging by the fuel tanks that lay further in, there wasn't fuel enough to power the suits, most of which contained modified engines for use of fossil fuels; understandable, as rebels generally didn't have the qualified technicians required to service the reactors normally installed in the suits. Although this left them without a means of recharging the beam saber standard with the Leo types, it would be no great loss to troops who had no experience piloting. 

His gaze traveled on and rested briefly on the Aries suit that he'd taken two days ago; it was in decent condition and would afford a good cover if he needed to fly into a base again. Other than subversive missions, it was utterly useless, being outclassed by the Gundams. Wing stood in a corner, silent and almost glaring out of the dull green eyes. Heero's own eyes narrowed. He'd take Wing in a fight any day. 

He continued to walk into the interior of the building, and noticed a dark shape in the recesses of the hanger. Quickening his pace, he soon came up to the mobile suit that showed promise of a good pilot. It was, or originally had been, a Leo; but now was modified almost beyond recognition. The whole suit was painted black and the armor appeared to have been strengthened. Walking closer, Heero gripped the line that descended from the cockpit overhead and ascended to the interior of the suit. 

Upon reaching the cockpit, he sat in the seat and gripped the controls as the door sealed with a steely hiss. The system came online, all check came in as positive, and the suit apparently waited for his instructions. Placing his fingers on the console, Heero typed in commands, and brought up the specifications for the suit. 

Weapons check: 

1. Beam sabers; ready   
2. Vulcan canons; online   
3. Buster cannon; charged   


_Hnn, interesting_. Heero scrolled down through the systems diagnostics, his eyes glowing as he took in the specs. This would be a suit to rival his own, if whoever was working on it could have had the resources and help to match the heights of their plans. As it stood now, it was just a modified Leo, heavily modified, but nothing else. In any case, he realized it had potential. Powering down, he exited the suit and headed further into the underground complex to where he had made his quarters.   


* * * * * 

Several days later, in a nondescript hotel room... 

Trev scrolled through the information on the screen in front of him at a rapid pace. TJ sighed and stretched her arms above her head. Getting him his laptop hadn't been as hard as springing him from the hospital ward. The doctor had insisted on keeping the 'boy' - and she used that term lightly - for yet another two days for observation. The patient had firmly vetoed that move, insisting that he felt alright, and confiding as an aside that "he didn't want to use up all her year's earnings on him." 

After locating the small motel where he'd registered, TJ had moved them in and headed out to do some shopping for herself. She'd returned to find him typing away over an internet connection, apparently oblivious to everything else. 

Now however, Trev had stopped typing and was running through information at the speed of light, most of which made no sense to her at all. With nothing to do she had almost decided to take a walk in the small park just across the way when a sharp intake of breath sounded behind her. She whirled around and found Trev staring pale faced at the laptop screen.

Upon the display a claw clicked together three times, then an image appeared and began to speak.

"Heero, I have a mission for you," the voice intoned...   


* * * * *   


__

To anyone out there wondering, this fic is not_ strictly about the Gundam guys/gals. I'm trying to deal with others in the world and how they fought and reacted to the Gundams. Especially those on earth who fought against OZ, but were mostly just faceless people, because it was the colonies who were 'oppressed'. There were myriads of reasons for fighting, and enough people to use them all; I'm trying to portray some of these in this work of fiction. Let me know how what you think (and yes, I understand some parts of this may be hard to believe, but I'll try to give a rational explanation for nearly everything)._


	5. Sparks Alight

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, Mobile Suit. It is © to Bandai, Sunrise, and to the various other business entities in Japan and the US that produce and market it.  
  
The original characters Trev, TJ © Trevor_X1  
  
* * * *  
  
"...I have a mission for you."  
  
The boy stopped his frantic typing for the time being, realizing the futility of it all. TJ glanced over at the door, making sure it was locked before coming closer to stare at the screen. "Who is it?" She whispered.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
The reply was hushed, the pair talking in low tones even though they had no particular cause to do so. During their conversation, the voice droned on.  
  
"The mission specifications will now download to your data disk, take care that you are not discovered. Do not compromise yourself."  
  
The claw clicked three more times and then replaced with a blank screen. The two occupants of the room stared at one another, unsure as to what they had just witnessed. "O-kay. that was weird." the girl brushed away a strand of hair from her face as she spoke. "What did you do?"  
  
Trev frowned, typing a few keys tentatively to see if there would be any response. None was forthcoming. The humming of the hard disk was the only sound in the room. "I haven't a clue. I must have triggered some kind of message drop accidentally, and now I've got somebody else's mission. Just what I needed." The exasperation was clear in his voice. "And the drop seems to have preempted my interference in any way. I just hope it doesn't erase anything." he stopped abruptly as the screen darkened and the system rebooted.  
  
Quickly opening files and folders, he managed to assess the fact that all seemed to be in order; the exception being the new files downloaded to his hard disk. "It looks like everything is here alright." his voice trailing off as he copied the offending files to an optical disk. That done, Trev proceeded to bury the originals under a layer of heavy encryption. Satisfied finally that he'd made everything as secure as he could at present, he was surprised at the chat box that popped up when he reconnected to the internet.  
  
"Meet me at the 'faded vineyard', tomorrow, 1700 hours. Bring the disk along with your explanation."  
  
Worried, he typed back. "where will I know where to find you? Who are you?"  
  
"Look for the shadows. In a leather jacket. Bring a companion and have her wear gray and green. I'll know you by it."  
  
Fingers paused above the keyboard for a moment, whilst many thoughts played across his face. Trev finally managed to type out, "I'll be there." before the connection was broken, and he hastily disconnected from the internet.  
  
Looking up at TJ, he saw her concern mirrored his own. "What did you just inadvertently get us into?"  
  
* * * * *  
  
*SLASH!*  
  
Duo cut through another mobile suit in the minor skirmish that he'd picked. Ambush was his style, and he was enjoying himself to the fullest, although more for the thrill of piloting Deathscythe than for destroying the few defenseless Leos that he was fighting; they would never be a match for a gundam. A few slashes and a toss of his buster shield and it was over. The Leos lay in pieces, a smoking reminder that no one ever saw a gundam and lived to tell about it.  
  
After hiding his gundam in a wooded area several hundred miles from where he had struck, Duo started for the nearest town. He'd have a little fun this evening, and forget about the war that he was an intricate part of. He pulled his jacket around his shoulder and shivered involuntarily, trying to push the memory of the smoking, burned piles of metal that marked his latest battle. It always reminded him of the ruins of the Maxwell Church. Although his greatest reason for fighting, he hated returning to the memories of that day.  
  
Hours later, as he sat in a dark corner of one of the small restaurants in the town, he noted a shadow leaning against the back wall. He shuddered, reminds me of what Heero would be doing. Cold eyed creep! Dangerous too! he added silently to himself as his face split into a grin. Heero wouldn't be here in this corner of the world; too coincidental. His gaze traveled around the room, resting critically with the occupants of each table.  
  
A tall, thin man sat opposite a rather heavyset lady. Duo noted the irony as he observed that the man ate only a salad, while the woman had a formidable array of dishes surrounding her, and was working to finish a steak. Every now and then, she stopped and took a bite of the chocolate cake that sat at her left elbow. Some how it wasn't a real surprise that she addressed her companion as "Jack." After a private chuckle, Duo went back to his observations.  
  
Two fashionable dressed ladies sat with two well dressed men. The ladies seemed to be more in the mood to flirt than to eat, and one winked at Duo when their eyes met. He grinned appreciatively, and waggled his eyebrows. Just then her dinner companion/escort looked up and frowning at the braided kid, engaged her in conversation. Sighing, Duo looked away, and his attention was drawn by movement towards the front of the room.  
  
A girl was making her way through the tables, her light brown hair swirling about her shoulders like a waterfall. She wore a simple light gray dress that fell around her ankles and was tied at the waist with a forest green sash. Following her was a young man, not much older than himself, Duo noted, with interest. His face seemed a bit pale against his dark brown hair, and his eyes seemed to be constantly watching.  
  
When a slightly intoxicated patron made a move towards the young lady, he was met with a glare that promised instant harm. Duo started; if that wasn't Heero, it sure was his double. They moved on through the room to a table at the back of the room not far from where he sat, and soon after were joined by another figure in a black jacket. Duo got up unobtrusively and sauntered over to them.  
  
The occupants of the table stopped whatever conversation they were having and turned to look at him. Duo's jaw dropped open and he stared. Two Heeros glared back at him.  
  
* * * * *  
  
A few minutes later, the braided pilot leaned back in his chair and gave a low whistle. With his hair brushed out of his eyes and without the glare, Trev no longer looked like the cold pilot of 01. He probably had a sense of humor even, although at the moment he was in dead serious mode. Duo watched as he slid his hand across the table to Heero, and for a moment a disk was visible. Then Heero drew his hand in and concealed it on himself. Looking behind Duo, Heero shifted his gaze back to the pilot of Deathscythe.  
  
"Duo, get up and go to the men's room." Duo looked surprised to be addressed like that, but he obligingly left for the back of the restaurant, where the restrooms were located. Glancing back over his shoulder as he disappeared through the doorway, he saw three OZ pilots making their way towards the back tables. Trev seemed to have reassumed his Heero-like charade, while they waited out the situation.  
  
Half an hour later, Heero entered and gestured stiffly to Duo who was leaning against the wall, looking bored. The braided pilot looked curiously at the stiff back in front of him as the walked out of the restaurant. He noted the OZ pilots leaving their table as he followed Heero out the front door. Heero led him to a black jeep parked out back. Trev and TJ already had arranged themselves inside, TJ behind the wheel. As soon as the two gundam pilots jumped in, she shifted the jeep into first and eased out of the lot.  
  
Duo turned around from looking out the back window after they turned for a second time. "Don't look, but we got company." He pulled out his pistol and moved to aim at the jeep behind, which was full of OZies. Heero glared at him and grabbed his arm. "Do that and there will be more than four or five looking for us." Duo put the pistol away and glared back.  
  
Trev turned around from the front and spoke to the two unreasonable beings in the back. "Don't worry, where we're headed, they may get in, but they'll never get out."  
  
They rode on in a tense silence as the jeep weaved its way down rutted dirt lanes deeper into the forests that abound in southern areas of what had previously been known as Germany. The Earth Sphere Alliance may have been able to change the name, but they could never change the people. Locally they still referred to their land as the Republic of Germany, but silently, as OZ was not tolerant to such language. Most of the rebels came from the most patriotic of its citizens.  
  
After another half hour of riding around on the trails, Trev directed TJ to turn off at one particularly faint path. Five minutes later, they found themselves in a cave. Trev hopped out of the car and motioned for the others to stay put. After tapping in a code on a hidden keypad at the entrance, he ran back to the jeep and jumped inside. Slowly, the floor began to move.  
  
TJ gave a start and moved as if to jump out of the vehicle, but a hand on her shoulder restrained her. Duo also seemed surprised. Heero sat impassive in the back, eyes closed. He already knew where they were heading. The elevator stopped about fifteen feet down, and Trev switched places with TJ, driving down a dark sloping passage. One hundred feet forward, he stopped the jeep and shut off the engine. "We have to walk from here."  
  
Pulling a flashlight out of the glove box, he proceeded down the tunnel again, followed closely by the other three. As the passage opened up into a large room, Duo and TJ stood stock still, mouths open. Revealed in the solitary beam of light, lay piles upon piles of mobiles suits and parts thereof.  
  
"Welcome to my underground bunkers, people."  
  
* * * * * * 


	6. Beams of Light

The sound resonated through the cavernous room. When its echoes had died down, the group heard the distinct sounds of pursuit from the tunnel. Withdrawing behind one of the piles of various mobile suit parts that lay about, they had a quick meeting about what course of action to take regarding the soldiers that were coming. Heero produced another flashlight, and he and Duo melted into the shadows near the outer edge of the room. Trev continued to walk through the piles, pointing his beam around, exclaiming all the while as though he were just a teenager gloating over a newfound treasure. TJ followed behind him, playing the part of a very bored girl to perfection. Because I am bored...  
  
As they climbed up one particularly unsteady pile, they noticed a flash of light from the direction of the tunnel. They glanced at each other pointedly. "I hope our friends are in position."  
  
"I'm sure they are by now. You do have your gun this time?" TJ lifted her skirt off her leg slightly to reveal the ankle holster. "And," she waved away his next question, "I'm suitably dressed to ditch the dress and run through the jungles. Don't worry so much."  
  
Trev nodded and turned back towards the back wall. "Did I mention that you look beautiful in that dress?" TJ stared at the younger boy, mouth agape. "What?!"  
  
"Hush!"  
  
Carefully, TJ wound her way off of the pile of parts and stood on the cold cement floor. As she brushed off the skirt of her dress, a beam of light pierced the blackness, illuminating the vicinity that she and Trev were in. She could see Trev scurrying to get down off the pile just as a hand gripped her arm, startling her. She felt herself spun around, and leaned away from the face behind. Another light was turned on, and in its glow she could make out Trev, standing still glaring at the man that held her. A second soldier stood behind him, gaze cold, one hand on the boy's collar.  
  
"Hey, it's pretty in a dress, wonder -" Trev lunged forward, dragging along the soldier holding him. His glare promised death. "Don't even think about it!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
The single soldier standing in the background holding a light on the scene stiffened. He'd been watching the scene in front of him when someone grabbed his neck and pressure pointed him. His hand went limp and he dropped to the floor. The flashlight didn't waver much, and Duo grinned in the dark as he gripped the flashlight taken from the fallen man. Trust Heero to be quick and efficient. He held the light steady and glanced back to where Heero was dragging the dead man away. Returning his gaze to the front, he smiled grimly, those soldiers wouldn't know what hit them; they were too busy keeping their hands on the two they were holding.  
  
* * * * *  
  
As Trev continued to struggle forward, the man who was gripping onto his shirt dropped his light and shifted his free hand to better hold the boy. He glanced at his partner while jerking the kid backwards. "Cut it out; you know the Captain doesn't like to be kept waiting. Besides, there were two more, and I can't see them at the moment."  
  
TJ's captor gripped her arm tighter. "Where are the others?" She turned her face away in disgust, and looked at Trev, still struggling to get at the man behind her. He grimaced as his arm was twisted. "They saw something outside the cave and left us alone."  
  
Twisting harder, the soldier asked again, "Where are they?" The boy glared ahead defiantly, even as he winced because of the pain. "We are down in a cave! I don't know where they are, except that they're in the area around the cave."  
  
The soldier yanked again as the kid lunged forward, and suddenly found himself on his back. The kid had used his own momentum against him, and now had pulled free. Stunned, his hand flew to his gun, only to find that it had come free when he fell. He groped for it, and not finding it, crawled towards his fallen light. He glanced up to see the other light getting larger as it drew nearer. Good, Franz finally got around to moving. He'd always been a slow idiot. Loyal, but an idiot.  
  
Suddenly the lights in the cavernous room flashed on, revealing the scene before his eyes. He got a very distinct impression of a long braid behind him and the girl rolling behind a pile of scrap while clutching her ankle, while the kid he'd been holding still grappled with his compatriot for a gun. His own pistol lay a few feet away, and he dove for it, reaching it just as the girl reappeared with a gun in her hands. The soldier grabbed his pistol and rolled away from the hail of bullets that were unleashed in his direction. Scrambling behind a piece of junk of unknown origins, he peered cautiously around to determine what the situation was.  
  
Duo swore fluently to himself as he ducked behind an ancient mining suit arm. The suddenness of the flood of light had been a surprise to everyone, and wasn't exactly for the best when you're trying to sneak up on someone. At first he thought Heero had done it, but a dark head disappeared behind a standing mobile suit when he glanced in the direction Heero had taken with the body. The body lay along the wall. On the other side of the room a woman in OZ uniform had just removed a pair of night vision goggles. A row of switches extended from the wall beside her. So that's what happened!  
  
He raised his arm to fire when movement arrested his motion. He ducked under the hail of fire, cowering behind the arm. Damn! Forgot about him! The second OZ soldier had finally recovered himself long enough to pin Duo down. How the heck do we get out of this one?  
  
* * * * *  
  
TJ had been pinning down the first soldier, but now she was forced to shift positions as the new player came into the game. She threw herself into a roll and made it behind another pile of parts before any of the soldiers could fire. Peeking out, she could still see Trev and the burly guy rolling around with the gun. Then a bullet ricocheted above her head and she ducked back into cover. Argh!  
  
* * * * *  
  
Trev found himself rolling around the floor with the soldier who'd been holding TJ, trying to keep from getting shot, and both of them a perfect target for anyone who chose to shoot at the pair. When the man had jerked him back, he'd launched himself into the pull, getting enough momentum to knock the soldier off balance. When he'd hit the ground, Trev rolled off and lunged for the big guy.  
  
As he half expected, the man shoved TJ away and went for his gun. And, although he was quicker than the soldier, in this rolling, shoving battle for control of the gun, weight counted for more than agility. Trev winced as the soldier shoved an elbow into his chest. He hoped something would break loose soon; he couldn't hold onto the weapon much longer, and he needed a way out of this winner take all.  
  
The soldier jerked his arm again, and his finger inadvertently pulled the trigger. The pistol fired, causing everyone to duck out of sight. As soon as the gun quite spitting bullets, Trev let go and rolled away from his antagonist. He headed for the far wall.  
  
But the OZ soldier wasn't about to let him get away that easily. The big man pulled himself off of the ground and lunged at the boy, knocking him to the ground. Trev rolled on impact, and ended up on his stomach. A quick glance over his shoulder caused him to scramble forward as quickly as possible. There was rage showing in the eyes of his pursuer. A sudden hail of fire enable him to reach a mobile suit reactor shell. He rolled behind and stood to his feet.  
  
A hand holding a knife lashed out at him. Ducking, he executed a series of backwards somersaults towards the wall. Spotting Duo and TJ, he gestured toward a group of battered Leos. "Run!"  
  
They started towards the suits, then stopped as the group suddenly toppled. The Wing Gundam towered over the small figures on the ground. Its eyes flashed green, and the scene seemed to freeze for a moment. Everyone stared at the impressive suit.  
  
Then a shout rang out. "Gunthar, Stromwell, get out!" The two OZies finally shook off their shock and rushed towards the door they'd entered through. Hurrying into the hole, they followed their captain as she sprinted towards the exit. "We've got to call in the Aires, that was a Gundam back there!"  
  
Grasping the ropes that they had descended from, they pulled themselves to the surface. Once there, the Captain grabbed the radio and Stromwell grabbed the wheel. "Get us out of here!" Gunthar was scrambling into the passenger side, knife still in hand. The Captain turned to him for a second. "And put that knife away!" He hurried to comply.  
  
"Echo squadron, can you read me."  
  
Static sounded for a moment, then a male voice came through. "Echo squadron here, affirmative Captain, you're coming in loud and clear."  
  
"Echo, get the hell over here, we've got a Gu...oh-my-god. GET OVER HERE NOW!"  
  
The Captain had just started her message to the squadron when a grating noise sounded behind the jeep. The occupants looked back in time to see the Wing Gundam rise from the underground shelter.  
  
Heero glared at the small vehicle that was the forerunner of trouble. Turning Wing almost casually, he fired his vulcans and the jeep disappeared in a small explosion. A totally black suit rose up behind him, and Duo's voice came over the com.  
  
"Hey man! Ready to kick some ass?"  
  
"Hnn." That American would never know how he sounded to others. The console blinked and Heero turned his attention back to the task at hand. The Aries were coming.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed my work. Day's Darkness is currently undergoing a partial rewrite of some scenes in the story as I'm posting it, which is why it's been a little slow to put up. I wanted this story to be somewhat believable. Which also means that the characters that I introduce aren't going to be all-powerful, super-beings. Just ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Enjoy. 


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